As Eagles Add DTs, What About Tight End?

The absence of Dallas Goedert looms large at TE for the Eagles

PHILADELPHIA - While the Eagles were busy collecting big-name defensive tackles, the team’s most glaring hole is being left unattended.

Tight end is a position where Philadelphia has a legitimate star in Dallas Goedert and a drop from there that rivals the steepest roller-coaster.

The problem of course is that Goedert is out with a significant shoulder injury that former Chargers team doctor David Chao believes could cost the TE1 the season in a worst-case scenario.

#DallasGoedert
Extended absence with possible associated left shoulder fracture. Was the facemask to blame?
Details below. https://t.co/2w4cWg7J9K

— David J. Chao - ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) November 16, 2022

Goedert is in the conversation for being the best pure football player on the Eagles with a handful of others like A.J. Brown, Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and Darius Slay.

Where there is little debate is the dropoff from Goedert to his backup, Jack Stoll, is the most cavernous on the depth chart and that’s what the Philadelphia offense has to persevere with for the next four games in the best-case scenario.

Stoll, more blocker than receiver, is bumped up and will be backed up by rookie Grant Calcaterra, who has played only 71 professional snaps, and former college quarterback/turned TE Tyree Jackson, who has missed the last year while rehabbing from a torn ACL.

Throw in practice squad option Noah Togiai and that’s what’s at Nick Sirianni’s disposal unless Howie Roseman continues his midseason veteran shopping spree which netted defensive tackles Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh this week.

The need at DT was significant after injuries to Jordan Davis and Marlon Tuipulotu but not nearly as obvious at TE.

Even with no additions, the Eagles could have survived with Javon Hargrave, Fletcher Cox, Milton Williams, Marvin Wilson, and the occasional toggling of Brandon Graham inside on pass downs.

The odds of any TE being relevant in the coming weeks outside of Goedert are negligible.

The Eagles spent a week or two looking at what Williams and Tuipulotu could give them with increased snap counts before the latter’s injury and the evaluation was made obvious by the resulting action.

Perhaps Calcaterra and Jackson are being given the same deference before the panic button is pushed.

Jackson is clearly the most-intriguing option after building up his impressive 6-foot-7 frame to 263 pounds, about 15 Ibs of added muscle, during his rehab.

“It's tough losing the time honestly on the field practicing,” Jackson said, “but I still have time with the trainers getting my body right, gaining weight, getting stronger and then you know just working each day running routes, blocking, improving those things so I see the silver lining in it.”

The one-time MAC Most Valuable Player as a signal caller showed a natural affinity for catching the football in 2021 training camp, along with the athleticism to be a significant seam threat. His size also provides a natural upside as a blocker if Jackson embraces that aspect of the game.

Few remember that Goedert himself wasn’t known as a blocker coming out of South Dakota State because he was so dominant as a receiver on that level that he wasn’t asked to handle that role all that much.

When Goedert showed up in Philadelphia he loved the contact and quickly flashed a natural ability to play in-line.

Perhaps lightning strikes twice with Jackson.

“It's gonna be a group effort [to replace Goedert] and everyone helping however we can,” Jackson said. “It's hard to replace a really good player like that, you know, just do the best that we can.”

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen